The Girl and Her Dad
by chicmns
Summary: Jen observes the special bond between Mattie and Harm.


"The Girl and Her Dad"  
  
Author: Chicmns  
  
Date: 3/13/04  
  
Rating: G  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
Category: General  
  
Keywords: General  
  
Summary: Jen observes the bond between Mattie and Harm.  
  
Disclaimer: JAG and all of its' characters belong to Belisarius and CBS. This story is for pure entertainment, and not for any profit.  
  
Dedication: To all the wonderful characters, actors, and fans of a great show, the folks who take the time to read fan fic, and to those who spend even more time reviewing and responding. Thanks!  
  
Author Notes: Takes place during the time period of season 9 of JAG.  
  
Feedback: I'm not one of those authors who don't like it - positive, negative, or indifferent. Everyone has different reactions, and they all have value. If so inclined, feel free: mnschicago@yahoo.com.  
  
"The Girl and Her Dad"  
  
It was only a few days after we'd moved in to the new apartment in Harm's building that I first noticed it. The connection. That special way they'd bonded and had moved into each other's lives, and comfort areas. I'm sure I'll read about it at some point in my psychology classes, and the clinical/psychological terms will be explained and learned ... but there it was, unfolding in front of me to watch.  
  
Because of our schedules between school (for Mattie and me) and work (Harm and me), we weren't able to move into this new place down the hall from his until a Tuesday. The rest of that week was spent going back and forth with all of our weekly activities while making our way daily among the boxes and unsettled furniture in the apt., hardly even having time to have a decent conversation, let alone unpack and settle in properly. Finally it was Friday, and we decided that we would just collapse and not do anything other than rent a movie and eat some pizza (veggie for Harm, of course), before spending the rest of the weekend getting our new place in order.  
  
Harm and I decided to surprise Mattie by picking her up from school and then swinging by the nearby pizza place to pick up the order I'd placed before leaving work. We wanted to ease her as much as possible into her new living situation. She saw us pull up in front of the school in Harm's Lexus, and gave a little leap of joy as he climbed out of the car to greet her. I noticed her friends and some of the other students watching as the tall, handsome Navy officer hug her and take her backpack from her as they chatted like two birds while walking to the car. She smiled as she noticed me in the passenger seat before climbing into the back through the door held open by Harm. I asked her about her day, trying to contribute to Harm's obvious desire to give Mattie structure and routine in her life. For Harm and I, moving was second nature in Navy life, and you just never got attached to your surroundings in general. But that didn't include Mattie, and making things as stable for her as possible was the unspoken plan between us. We let her pick the movie at the video rental place ("Underworld", something about vampires and werewolves ...), picked up the pizza, and headed home. Of course, you don't just fall into a crash and flick session on a Friday night without preparation and the right dress ... so, we all changed into "comfort clothes" before diving into the pizza, talking about our days. We listened as Mattie described some of the kids she'd met at her new school, and the general complaints about the amount of homework being assigned by most of the teachers. She pleaded with us to tell her that so much paperwork wasn't going to be a permanent part of her life, and Harm made us all laugh by sardonically reminding her of what he did for a living, as well as assure Mattie that the Admiral kept me pretty buried in paperwork as well. She gave him a look that seemed to say, "You're supposed to encourage me – not scare me further!!!" Harm just gazed back at her with an innocent, playful look, and Mattie's eyes narrowed. Eating pizza and watching them send non-verbal messages back and forth made me laugh, which got me glares from both of them.  
  
Before she could get too depressed over her uncertain future with all things paperwork, we decided to start the movie. Harm had changed into a Navy sweatshirt with black sweats, while both Mattie and I had climbed into cotton and flannel pajamas outfits. Normally, I'd be very self-conscious in an outfit like that in front of the Commander, but I reminded myself that since I was now his foster daughter's roommate, we'd both see each other in new situations away from work and the Navy. Anyway, Harm looked the most comfortable of all of us, in what was obviously worn and broken-in sweats. Mattie was, I saw, eyeing the sweatshirt Harm wore, and I recognized that look – the look of someone planning to borrow something they liked the first chance they got. That thought brought another smile to my face as we headed to the still-unpacked and cluttered living room, and Harm asked me what it was I was smiling about. I warned him that he should probably stock up on Navy sweatshirts since his daughter was obviously planning on heisting his when she could. Mattie threw me a mock glare, muttering "traitor" just loud enough for Harm and I to hear, making both of us laugh.  
  
We settled down to watch the DVD on the new player we'd browbeaten poor Harm into buying for us, with me taking the comfortable chair and the couch for Harm and Mattie. Harm started the movie and pulled the comforter we'd carried to the couch down and into his lap, laying it between himself and Mattie, who sat near him.  
  
As the movie started and we began to pick up the characters and plot, I started thinking about one way Mattie had already changed Harm – when she was nearby, he was very tactile. In fact, for two people who'd only known each other for a few months, Harm and Mattie were amazingly comfortable around each other, and she seemed to glow whenever he hugged her or touched her in some way. From what he'd told me of her background, losing her mom during the past year and being very independent by nature, I'd expected her to me more reserved in showing physical affection. Not so, especially with her new foster father. I can still remember the first hug she gave me, at the Christmas party the Admiral hosted at his house. We'd spoken a few times on the phone when she'd called to talk to Harm before, but that was our first meeting in person. I remember how Harm had introduced her to everybody gathered there, and how she'd held his hand shyly through the greetings. But when both Mac and I went to greet her, we both got tight hugs, bringing smiles to both of us. You could just see that there was already a strong bond between she and Harm, and the hugs both Mac and I got were signs of our own soon-to-deepen bonds we'd share with this intelligent, precocious girl that had seemingly taken over Harm's heart.  
  
The chair I sat in was turned in such a way that I could watch both the people on the couch and the movie without being too obvious . I smiled at some of the comments Mattie and Harm whispered to each other about the movie, the verbal "shorthand" common between people who are extremely close already in place. She ribbed him about the form-fitting leather outfit the female lead in the movie wore, and he returned her tease by telling her he'd see to it that all Navy pilots got similar outfits to "look even cooler" in while flying. She burst out laughing, reaching over to shove him playfully as he laid this wonderful, fatherly grin on her. Everyone who'd met Mattie and had been around her and Harm had been struck by how much she kept him "in line" with her teasing and jokes; between Mattie and Mac, Harm didn't get much of a break in that department. I heard him once describe it to Commander Turner as being a "dead man walking" whenever the two of them 'teamed up" on him. Sturgis just laughed and told him he "needs that in your life, buddy!" Harm had just turned a mock glare on his friend, while shaking his head and chuckling.  
  
Twenty minutes into the movie, Mattie had drifted closer to Harm on the couch, and he'd spread the comforter over her as she'd scooted next to him and laid her head on his shoulder, smiling up at him. His arm went around her shoulders, and I heard her sigh contentedly. The small grin never left his face as they sat together on the couch, engrossed in the movie. I'm sure he paid more attention to the variety of weapons used and the manner in which various characters met their ends, while Mattie and I concentrated on the obviously-growing attraction between the two leads between bouts of blood and fighting.  
  
We continued to watch the movie, and something made me glance over at Mattie, who hadn't moved in a while. She'd apparently started dozing off, her eyes slowly closing as she leaned against Harm, who'd wrapped his arm tighter around her. She'd slipped her hand into his at some point, too, the images of the screen flickering across her peaceful face. I looked up to see Harm gazing down at her, then over at me, and we grinned at the same moment as we both noticed Mattie asleep. There was a loud noise from the TV at that moment, during the climatic fight, and it caused Mattie to jerk slightly in her sleep. Harm gently murmured to her, "Shhhhhhhhh...", and she seemed to relax again, her eyes staying closed.  
  
I realized then that Mattie must be a fairly light sleeper, because whenever there was a dramatic sound from the movie on the TV screen, she would sometimes jerk slightly, or murmur something in her sleep. Each time, Harm would pull her closer against him, and lean over to whisper quietly to her. It struck me, then, that she might be having a bad dream, and I glanced at Harm, mouthing the question "Nightmare?" to him. He looked down at her face, then back over at me, shrugging and shaking his head. We both watched her face for a few moments more, and when it seemed as if she'd relaxed again, we turned back to the movie. Suddenly, a car horn sounded from the street, and Mattie suddenly jerked again, calling out Harm's name in her sleep. We were both a little startled by her reaction, since she didn't call out the name of either of her parents, or of someone else – but Harm. He looked at her sleeping face for a moment in speculation, then quietly lifted her and settled her sleeping form in his lap, rearranging the comforter around her to keep her covered. She burrowed into his shoulder, whispering almost too quiet for us to hear, "Harmmm?" He swallowed, and then quietly answered, "It's ok, sweetheart .. I'm here." Still sleeping, she sighed again, a soft smile coming to her face.  
  
I turned back to watch the rest of the movie and when the final scene had passed and the credits started rolling, I turned to look back over at the couch and saw that Harm had drifted off to sleep himself, still holding Mattie in his arms. They looked so natural and peaceful then, like he had been watching over her all their lives, and I thought again how lucky Mattie was to have Harm in her life. If I'd had someone like him around when I was fifteen ... well, I'm not sure I would have wanted to hear the things he would have tried to teach me, but I like to think I would have tried to listen, at least a little. And even though I didn't meet him until a few years later, his effect on my life hasn't been any less profound or powerful. I found myself when I found him, and even though he was taking me to the brig when we'd first met, I've never felt for one moment that he wasn't supporting me in any way he could. Mac told me recently that she thought that I'd become the sister Harm had never had, and after thinking about it, I knew that it was true. If a girl's father isn't around, after all, who would she come to for help and protection when life gets rough than her older brother, after all?  
  
The disc finally ended, shaking me from my thoughts. I quietly got up and turned the DVD player off, leaving the TV on for the moment, since it was the only illumination in the room. Silently as I could, I moved over to Harm and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. He stirred, blinked a few times, then glanced up at me after checking on Mattie still asleep in his arms. I raised my eyebrows at him, and then nodded towards Mattie's room, telling him by eye contact that I thought he should carry her to bed. He nodded, and as gently as possible, slid from the couch without waking Mattie and turned to follow me to her bedroom. I opened her door, and walked over to the bed, pulling aside the covers and helping Harm settle Mattie into her bed. After we covered her with her blankets and watched her snuggle underneath them, Harm leaned over and kissed her gently on the forehead. We turned and walked out of the room, quietly closing the door behind us.  
  
I followed Harm back to the living room, where he started folding the comforter. I placed a hand on his arm to stop him, whispered that I'd get it in the morning. He yawned and nodded, giving me a "half flyboy" grin that made me blush as usual, then turned and headed towards the front door, Unlocking it and turning the knob, he turned, surprising me by leaning down to place a kiss on my forehead. Then he whispered, "Good night, Jen. Thanks for being here for us." I smiled, waving him in the direction of his apartment. He waited outside the door as I closed and locked it, and then threw the deadbolt he'd installed when we'd taken the apartment. I listened to him turn and pad back to his place down the hall and, hearing his own front door close, trudged down the hall to my own room and bed.  
  
As I climbed under the covers, I smiled again and wondered sleepily what other changes Harmon Rabb, Jr. would bring to my life. The last thought I remembered thinking before sleep came was that I couldn't wait to find out.  
  
THE END 


End file.
